A BLOCK of flats which were ravaged by fire last month are to be demolished.

Fife Council has confirmed that structural and water damage caused by the blaze at the 12 properties in Francis Street has meant the building will now be razed.

Efforts have already taken place to salvage some sentimental items from some properties while alternative accommodation has now been found for the residents who were forced to flee their homes on October 22.

READ MORE: Committee thanks those who rallied to help

Seven fire engines and two height vehicles were called to the fire and a man and woman, Chloe Arnott, 30, and Jamie Morrison, 33, both of Glenrothes, have since appeared in court charged with wilful fire-raising and attempted murder after the fire at the four-storey building.

Fife Council Service Manager Greig Henderson said a survey carried out on the flats had confirmed the extent of the fire damage.

"We met with residents to inform them that the structural and water damage means we will unfortunately have to demolish the block," he said. "We continue to support them through this unsettling time.

"Long-term solutions will vary, depending on individual household needs, but work is already underway to identify alternative housing options for everyone who was affected."

Local councillor Linda Erskine, who was on scene at the fire and was able to open the Town Hall building to provide shelter and support to residents in the immediate aftermath of the blaze, said some families had been able to retrieve some personal belongings.

READ MORE: Residents receiving support after Lochgelly flats fire

"Last Thursday, officers went in and managed to gather some things," she told the Times. "Not for the people in the top because the destruction was too much, but the lower levels. People have managed to get some keepsakes and things that were important to them.

"It has been really difficult for most people, but people are stoic and proud and are just getting on with it. That said, people are needing support, it has been a horrific time. They escaped with what they had on.

"The council has managed to move really quickly and get suitable housing for them. Not everyone is in the housing they have been allocated and I have been visiting folk that have been settled and managed to get support, things like clothing and furniture. It has been just a horrendous situation.

"It has been nice to be able to visit some of them and see they are content with what they have got. They are not all in Lochgelly. They have been distributed to different places, some Lochgelly, Kelty and Cowdenbeath and further afield."

READ MORE: Huge fire in Lochgelly as emergency crews rush to flats ablaze

Cllr Erskine highlighted the efforts of the local community who she said had come together in a crisis.

"Particularly with something as difficult as this, people may be settled in a new house but the trauma will never leave them. They were not just getting out of the building, they were fleeing for their life and watching everything they owned going up in smoke.

"We were really, really grateful to the people that have donated and supported the victims of the fire. It has made my job just that much easier to know there is that much support and care in the community for folk. I am really grateful.

"They are still gathering. One local businessman, Davie Farrell, gave us a shop to store things in Lochgelly and the ladies volunteering there are there every day from 10am until 12pm."

Cllr Erskine welcomed the news that the building is set to be demolished in the near future.

"The council have to go through a process but they are trying to do it quickly because the quicker it is down, people don't have to see it," she added. "Walking past it, it isn't pleasant and it is not for the survivors."

Donations of items needed by the former Francis Street residents are still being collected and more information can be obtained on the Lochgelly Fire Recovery Group's Facebook page.

A charity concert to help those affected is also taking place in The West End Bar in Lochgelly on Sunday, December 3, and more information is available on their Facebook page.